Summer Bucket List: Update #2

It’s mid-August, folks, and it appears that the end-of-summer wistfulness is starting to set in. I don’t know about you, but lately it feels like no conversation is complete without someone remarking “how fast” the summer passed by. Normally, I’m the first to roll my eyes at this comment, a knee-jerk reaction that is quickly with a snarl along the lines of “Actually, daytime hours are longer in the warmer months.” This year, however, I’m forced to admit that, yeah, the last few months just flew by. Currently, I’m a weird, caught-in-the-middle phase, where the last day of school feels like both yesterday and million years ago. Jury’s still out as to which side I’ll land on, but the last several days have already been tinged with more nostalgia than the past three summers combined.

To commemorate the mysterious disappearance of June and July, today I’m sharing an update on my summer bucket list. The last time we talked, I’d only crossed off two of my six goals. Today, I’m happy to report that the situation has reversed itself: With four to-dos down, I’m left with two to go. Keep scrolling for an update on what I’ve done so far, as well as my plans for what’s ahead. 🙂

First things first: The checked off items. Last time, I told you all about my adventures with new workout classes (new update: no more Flywheel classes have been attended) and making a joy jar. In the month since then, I’ve tackled two more items, starting with living tech-free for 24 hours. It was hard scheduling my screen cleanse around my work hours, so once I got a Sunday off I jumped at the chance to unplug. Confession? It was a little anti-climatic. I’d assumed from reading articles and watching videos of other people experimenting with tech-free days that it would a huge exercise in self-discipline, but in reality my experience was almost pathetically uneventful. Aside from a couple urges to check the social, I was actually pretty happy to spend the day curled up with a book and going for a walk with my dad. It was comforting to know that I’m not as dependent on technology as I feared, and I might even consider adopting a “no cell phone” rule for each Sunday. One pitfall I want to disclaim, though: My tech-free day happened to coincide with a positively delicious family brunch. My lobster roll would have made a sick ‘gram, but alas, the opportunity was lost.

Interestingly enough, my attempt at living with a capsule wardrobe for one week was similarly mundane. In truth, by the time I got around to forcing myself to stick to a handful of pieces (one of which you can see here) for a five-day work week, I’d already been living out of only a few of my most comfortable go-tos. For that reason, my experience didn’t feel much like a “capsule wardrobe” at all- if anything, I felt like I wasn’t able to take advantage of the other great things in my closet. I’m not giving up on this one just yet, though” Come fall, I’m eager to see how I survive a school week with only 10-12 items of clothing. Before I do that, I want your advice: Should I or should I not include footwear in that limit? LMK.

And now the fun part, aka the unchecked boxes. As I mentioned in my last update, I’ve made a dent in my goal read a book in French, and am hoping to finish over Labor Day weekend. I’m really enjoying the process, and am actually surprised by how much I understand! If you have any questions about pursuing another language, please reach out- I’m all ears and would love to help. 🙂

The other remaining item on my list is to do a natural beauty spa night. I’ve been looking into different “recipes” for face and hair masks, and am pretty sure I’ve settled on what I’ll be doing. Hopefully I’ll get to actually pampering myself sometime at the end of this week. Whatever the results (can anything bad happen from smearing banana on your face?), you can be sure I’ll share it all with you here on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled!

So that’s the story, readers. Four goals down, two to go, and one summer for the books.

Wishing you all a smooth Hump Day! (The latter is a huge contradiction, I know, but I like to believe that good things can happen.) Be sure to check back on Friday for more fun.